Cebu, Philippines, September 13, 2016 – Leading telecoms and digital services provider PLDT, through its enterprise digital enabler ePLDT, is expanding its commercial data center operations in Cebu with the construction of a second VITRO facility in Mandaue City. This is in response to the growing requirements of enterprises in Cebu province and the rest of Visayas and Mindanao for a reliable and secure repository for their rapidly expanding volume of digital information. This facility also answers the needs of enterprises in Luzon for additional diversity via a business continuity site outside Luzon.
Present for the groundbreaking ceremony of the second VITRO Data Center in Cebu were, from left, PLDT AVP and VisMin Corporate Relationship Business Head Jimmy Chua, ePLDT Chief Technology Officer Dave Simon, ePLDT Group Chief Operating Officer Nerisse Ramos, PLDT/Smart Executive Vice President and ePLDT President and CEO Eric Alberto, PLDT Executive Advisor for Fixed Network Rudi Frey and PLDT AVP and Head of Corporate Relationship Management Dick Perez.
Expected to be completed by fourth quarter of 2017, the new VITRO facility will serve the growing demand for co-location, enterprise-class cloud and managed services requirements of data-driven industries and businesses such as banks, financial services, call centers and BPOs, IT, content and media companies, retail enterprises, as well as the need of the public sector entities.
Like the other VITRO facilities in ePLDT's network of data centers, the second VITRO Cebu data center will be built and operated with international certifications. It will be a four-floor level facility with a minimum of 3,600-square meter floor area situated alongside ePLDT's existing data center in Mandaue City.
The new data center will have a minimum of 700-rack capacity to add to ePLDT's 8,300 rack capacity by end of 2016. This new data center will bring up the PLDT Group's current network of data centers to nine sites. Once operational, the facility will also have a minimum of 8 layers of security and 24/7 monitoring and surveillance in all of its areas.
"Visayas and Mindanao are home to the most vibrant industries and business communities that greatly contribute to the country's economic growth. A little more than three years after its opening in 2012, the first VITRO in Cebu is now 100% utilized, a testament to the region’s dynamic business environment. The second VITRO data center will address the region's local enterprises’ needs as they get more aggressive in outsourcing the hosting and management of their IT assets,” said PLDT EVP and ePLDT President and CEO Eric R. Alberto.
"Our expansion plans will complement the growing need for data center services in the region and provide a stronger foundation to sustain the momentum of businesses to become more competitive with digital services," added Alberto.
The second Cebu VITRO Data Center and the rest of the ePLDT Network of Data Centers will serve as the bedrock for the emerging data-driven enterprise in the future and the testament of modern civilization to help them optimize, harness, safeguard and protect the data-driven core of their business including mission critical data, co-location, business continuity and data backup, managed data security, network connectivity management, and other IT services which will usher them into the digital age. Aside from the efficiency and expertise that come with these services, businesses will also be able to minimize costs in running and managing their own information systems and platforms through VITRO's Opex-based hosting arrangement.
The second Cebu VITRO data center is supported by PLDT’s robust fiber optic network spanning over 100,000 kilometers across the archipelago enabling the delivery of digital solutions nationwide.
